Page 78 of Omega Rock

Dad extends a hand to Aiden. “Hi, there. We’re Mia’s parents.”

Aiden straightens almost immediately and he opens the door wider. “Sure, hi. We weren’t expecting you.”

The nervousness in his voice might be cute except for the factmy parents are here. “How did you even…?”

“Sable,” Mom says. Because of course Sable told them. She smiles warmly at Aiden, then Noah and Leo who rise from the couch as my parents enter Aiden’s apartment. “We won’t stay long, I know you need to be careful, Mr. Altis.”

“Leo’s fine,” Leo says with a slightly creased brow.

I understand. Because I’m still trying to catch up to why Sable told them where I am.

Mom catches it. “She knew we were worried, that’s all. And—Alex, the basket?”

Dad’s eyes go wide and then he retreats back out into the hall for a moment. When he returns, he’s holding a massive basket filled with groceries and other goodies. “Your mother insisted on a gift basket for the pack—band.”

So Sable told them about my pack, too. About how these alphas aren’t just my bandmates, but scent-matched mates. I want to be angry with Sable for stepping in between me and my parents, but I find it’s impossible to do. Sable means well. My parents do, too. But I’m still surprised to see they came all this way.

I weave past Aiden to hug my parents. “Thank you.”

Mom rubs my back, and then turns to my alphas. “Fine time we probably meet anyway, even if it’s quick. Thank you for taking care of our daughter.” Her eyes are tight though, and I’m more than sure it’s not because of the rock band. It’s the age difference.

Aiden takes the basket from Dad and sets it on his kitchen counter. “Absolutely. To be fair, she’s taking care of us plenty well, too.”

“You have an exceptional daughter,” Noah says. He’s standing rather stiffly nearby, his eyes on Dad.

Dad notices. They share a glance for a while, and then he extends a hand to Noah. “Mr. Smith. I don’t believe I had the pleasure of having you in class.”

“But you know of me,” Noah asserts while he shakes Dad’s hand.

Dad’s response is curt. “I do.”

I send a panicked look to Aiden, but it’s Leo who speaks up. “That was a lifetime ago, I’m sure you can appreciate that. Things have changed.”

Mom gives him a warm smile. “We can certainly understand change, can’t we, Alex?”

Dad holds Noah’s gaze long enough that I figure I should just find a shotgun for him if he’s going to be so stereotypically overprotective. But, finally, he relents. “We can. I look forward to getting to know each of you better soon. But Julie is right. Just a quick visit today to introduce ourselves and”—he turns to pull me in for a hug again—“to apologize to you, Mia. We know this is important to you.”

It was more important before my arrest, but I guess bringing that up would be petty. I hug Dad tight. “Thank you.”

“We’re off to visit your aunt,” Mom says. “But if—when—you want to have everyone over for dinner, we would like that.”

They’re trying. I know they are. It doesn’t fully soothe the sting of their words the last time we talked, but I suppose I was pretty venomous, too. “I would like that very much.”

Mom nods and then grabs Dad’s arm. “Off we go, then. Love you, honey.”

I hug them both again and tell them I love them. And I thank them for accepting my pack. Once they’re gone, I look to Aiden. “I’msosorry. I had no idea they would be coming.”

Aiden pulls me back to the couch where everyone’s now sitting. “It’s okay. We’d have to meet them at some point anyway, right?”

I smile a little. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

Leo bumps my elbow. “They seem nice.”

Noah barks a laugh. “Certainly went better than I thought with your father.”

My eyes go wide and I nod. “I was worried about that, not going to lie.”

“Well,” Aiden says as he leans back against the couch. “I guess we’ve all met everyone’s parents. Pretty sure that makes us pack official.”

---